I have 4 Camp Italy Hexes, specifically numbers 6, 7, 9 &10. They are about 20 years old so have larger holes than the gear in the shops today. Also I compared them to some Wild Country Rock-centrics and they seem to come up roughly a size smaller, IE my size 10 = modern day size 9. The three smaller hexes used to have 6mm cord, (measures 6.5 on my ruler) and the size 10 had 10mm cord. Have checked other posts, but still have some questionsÖ Size Hole Cord 6 10mm 6mm 7 10mm 6mm 9 10mm 6mm 10 11mm 10mm

Iím not convinced the spectra or equiv tech cord method is right for me Ė partly because I donít want to spend excess money on gear that is only on loan. But also Iíve heard it has a shorter life than 7mm nylon and regular nylon cord will fill the larger holes these older hexes have.

If Iím going to use nylon, what size do I go for? As per usual cordelette advice, it is unwise to go below 7mm?

Do I go for bigger cord as the hexes get bigger? IE 7mm, 8mm, 9mm, 10mm, or just stick with one size for all of them? Or in fact go with 10mm for all of them Ė since it will fit!

Does anyone find slinging them in different colours makes them quicker or easier to recognise?

Iím not convinced the spectra or equiv tech cord method is right for me Ė partly because I donít want to spend excess money on gear that is only on loan. But also Iíve heard it has a shorter life than 7mm nylon and regular nylon cord will fill the larger holes these older hexes have.

If Iím going to use nylon, what size do I go for? As per usual cordelette advice, it is unwise to go below 7mm?

as far as i can recall, conventional wisdom for old school hexes is 9mm nylon. if that wont fit in the smaller hexes, get the tech cord. definitely dont go below 7mm nylon. if you are threading thin cord throuh a big hole and dont like how it flops around, or dont like the tight bend around the corner, you can use a piece of nylon tubing or similar as a bushing, of sorts.

go ahead and splurge on cord that will hold a big fall. wahts it going to cost you, five bucks more?

In reply to:

Does anyone find slinging them in different colours makes them quicker or easier to recognise?

clearly someone thinks that kind of thing makes life better, seems 98% of the manufacturers color code their slings. might take some creative shopping, thoguh.

btw- there are loads of threads talking about reslinging hexes. browse the archives.

has nothing to do with being cheap....after a fall, tech cord needs to be retired...and spectra degrades after lots of falls.....nylon is WAY better....its breaking strength isn't effect by falls like kevlar, spectra, or dyneema

Thanks for all your replies and the picture, just to clear up it's not a massive concern shelling out the extra for spectra if its going to do a much better job. But I'm not convinced it will in these circumstances - yet.

I'm a bit concerned that if I go with the spectra 5mm I'll need to mess about with plastic tubing, cloth tape, elec tape or old tubular tape to protect it against abrasion on the 90 degree bends at the top of the hex.

Also if spectra or equiv is subject to fatigue after falls, more so than 9mm nylon, I may be returning a fatigued piece of gear to my friend that appears to be okay.

has nothing to do with being cheap....after a fall, tech cord needs to be retired...and spectra degrades after lots of falls.....nylon is WAY better....its breaking strength isn't effect by falls like kevlar, spectra, or dyneema

this is the first mention i've heard of this problem with the tech cords. please could you post a link to the souce of this information? im very curious.

as far as i know, the tech cords *do* get weaker quickly in use, but the breakdown mechanism is just bending and weighting, not 'falls'.

as you say, nylon does not have this problem.

ive never heard that tech cord needs to be retired after a fall, and i think this would be a new revelation for a lot of people if you can back it up.

has nothing to do with being cheap....after a fall, tech cord needs to be retired...and spectra degrades after lots of falls.....nylon is WAY better....its breaking strength isn't effect by falls like kevlar, spectra, or dyneema

this is the first mention i've heard of this problem with the tech cords. please could you post a link to the souce of this information? im very curious.

as far as i know, the tech cords *do* get weaker quickly in use, but the breakdown mechanism is just bending and weighting, not 'falls'.

as you say, nylon does not have this problem.

ive never heard that tech cord needs to be retired after a fall, and i think this would be a new revelation for a lot of people if you can back it up.

please post, anthony

i now in the trango Big bro's manual it says to retire 5.5mm tech cord after a fall (NEVER MIND, i just checked a .pdf file off trango's website and its not in the instructions, unless the one i read was an older version)

i read a blackdiamond/metolius report on breaking strengths of nylon/spectra/dyneema/etc after various FFs...its been posted afew times on the boards

No blanket working load recommendation can be made because it depends on the application and conditions of use, especially potential danger to personnel. It is recommended that the user establish working loads and safety factors based on professional and experienced assessments of risks. The working load is a guideline for the use of a rope in good condition for non-critical applications and should be reduced where life, limb, or valuable property is involved, or exceptional service such as shock, sustained loading, severe vibration, etc. The Cordage Institute specifies that the Safe Working Load of a rope shall be determined by dividing the Minimum Tensile Strength by the Safety Factor. Safety factors range from 5 to 12 for non-critical uses, 15 for life lines

they way i see it, if i take a good whipper on one of my bigbros or slung hex's...i'll retire the cord...its only 4 bucks to replace......but if i'm makin stations or rappin' or aiding, its fine

ok, but your post doesn't make your statement that tech cords shoudl be retired after a fall any more compelling to me. it just restates the limitations of tech cords in normal use, whether they are being fallen on or not.

if there are studies out there that show evidence of further reductions in tensile strength in the tech cords after a fall, beyond the expected reductions from flexing and knotting, i would very much like to know about it.